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Wednesday, May 28, 2014

A while ago I went to a Mexican restaurant and had a chicken chimichanga. Every time I pass that restaurant I think about it. The tortilla was crispy. The chicken inside was flavorful and moist. Now I can't go in every time I crave one cause I would be there everyday, so I had to make them myself.

This recipe is all of the things that my chimichanga from the restaurant was but better because of the rich, creamy sauce over the top. I put lettuce on top because its good with an extra crunch and some cheese cause you can't ever have too much cheese. I may never go back to the restaurant for those chimichangas again!

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl combine the salsa, oregano, cumin and mix until combined. Add in the chicken and cheese and stir. Line an 11x15 pan tin foil and brush with melted butter.

2. Cook your tortillas. Place a 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture in the center of your tortilla. Fold opposite sides of your tortilla in and then roll up and place with the seam down on your prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until crispy.

Sauce

In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Add in the chicken broth and the green chilies. Whisk until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream and salt. Return to heat and stir until warmed through.

Friday, May 23, 2014

So hamburger gravy... Do you remember having this in elementary school? Its one of those nostalgic things I think. Like these Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars. Its just delicious cause it reminds you of something from your childhood. Except this is delicious because its meaty, creamy, and its seasoned way better than it was in elementary school. I served it on creamy homemade mashed potatoes. Its an easy weeknight meal that may remind you of your childhood!

Brown the hamburger in a large skillet. Don't drain the fat. Add in onion powder, salt, pepper, and stir. Sprinkle the flour over the top to absorb the fat. Add in the beef broth and milk. Stir until well combined. Bring to a boil then turn to low and let simmer until thickened.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

I love anything s'more related and when I'm in the mood for a rice krispie treat I always look for a new version. These might be my favorite version that I've found. Its crispy, chocolaty, and it has that yummy toasted marshmallow fluff on top to make it even more sweet and delicious. A perfect summer dessert when you're in the mood for s'mores and there's no fire pit to make them!

Monday, May 19, 2014

When I hear sugar cookie bars I think of something dry and crumbly. Maybe that's because I've never had one before... So when I saw this recipe I decided to give it a try. It was soft, moist, almost brownie like. It tastes just like a soft lemon sugar cookie with strawberries. Delicious. Perfect for any occasion!

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9x13 pan with tin foil and grease.

2. In a large bowl add in flour, baking soda, and salt and whisk. In the bowl of a mixer combine the sugar and butter and beat together until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, lemon juice, and lemon extract and mix until combined. Add in the flour mixture and mix until combined. Fold in the strawberries.

3. Press the dough into the prepared pan. Bake for about 45 minutes. Let cool.

Glaze

Whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Drizzle over the bars.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

I wanted something different besides barbeque chicken sandwiches with bottled barbeque sauce. When I came across this I was intrigued and it turned out amazing. Sweet, vinegar-y, moist, and tender. A great sandwich for a busy week night or any night really!

1. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Slice the onion and place the rings on the bottom of the slow cooker and set the chicken on top.

2. In a medium bowl combine all of the cooking liquid ingredients and stir until combined. Pour on top of the chicken. Cook on low for 8-9 hours.

3. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred.

4. Using a couple slices of bread soak up the grease on top of the cooking liquid and throw away the bread. Strain the liquid and transfer 3 cups to a saucepan. Add the brown sugar and ketchup. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes until thickened. Combine the chicken and the sauce. Heat through and serve.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

I have a small obsession with cinnamon rolls, especially these ones. They are light, and soft, and they melt in your mouth. The frosting is creamy, sweet, and a little tangy. These are amazing! I'm not sure how close to actual Cinnabons these are but they are to die for. This is a recipe you need in your recipe box!!

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer using the dough hook, add in the water, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar. Mix and let sit for 10 minutes. In a separate small bowl mix the buttermilk, egg, and oil so its well combined. Pour the buttermilk mixture, the rest of the granulated sugar and salt. Stir to combine.

2. Add in 2 cups of the flour and stir on low until combined. Continue to add the flour until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl and they look clean. Increase to medium speed and knead for 5 minutes. The dough should be sticky but not sick to your fingers when you touch it.

3. Put the dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it sit somewhere warm for about an hour or two until it doubles.

4. Prepare the filling... In a medium bowl mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch. Grease a 9x13 glass dish and then line with parchment paper and grease again.

5. Once the dough has doubled, flour your work surface. Turn the dough onto the counter and punch out the air. Place on the floured surface. Roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 15x22. Spread the over the dough and leave a 1" strip on the edge farthest from you without butter. Sprinkle the cinnamon mixture over the butter and using your rolling pin roll over the cinnamon to press it into the butter.

6. Starting with the edge closest to you gently roll the dough up tightly sealing with the edge you didn't put butter on. Cut off the uneven ends and mark the dough every inch and a half. Then slice your dough.

7. Place the rolls in the prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place and let rise for an hour or 2 until doubled again and touching each other. Bake at 350 for 15-17 minutes, until lightly brown. Be careful to not overbake.

8. While baking make the frosting. In the bowl of your mixer beat together the butter and cream cheese. Add in the vanilla extract and lemon juice. Beat until combined. Add in powdered sugar and mix on low until incorporated then increase the speed to high and beat for 5 minutes.

9. When you take the rolls out of the oven spread the frosting on top. Serve warm!

Friday, May 9, 2014

I have never been a fan of chicken salad. I dont like all of the things people put in them. But my husband LOVES chicken salad. So I decided to try and make some myself and it was amazing! I put mine on these Lion House Rolls I made the other day. So good!!

I only put grapes and celery in mine but feel free to add in almonds or whatever else you enjoy in your chicken salad. Just be sure to adjust the amount of celery and grapes to compensate cause the chicken ratio is just about perfect!

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

I am doing my monthly guest post over at Sawdust and Embryos.
Go over and see how easy it is to make soft and fluffy homemade rolls.
You won't ever be satisfied buying them at the store again! Click here to get the recipe!

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Have you ever heard of popcorn cookies? I hadn't. Well not until I was assigned the spectacular blog Food Babbles for the Secret Recipe Club this month. The authors name is Kate, she is a mom to 3 and she has lots of great people in her life who influence her cooking and baking, which is probably why all of her stuff is amazing!

I finally decided on these Caramel Popcorn Cookies because my Maycie's number one requested treat is caramel popcorn and I needed to do something different for my sake. As different as I thought this cookie would be it was delicious! Sweet, chewy, and caramel-y. I made them the way the recipe was written here and then I made a few changes to make them taste more caramel-y. Either way they are worth making, so go over to Food Babbles and check it out, you won't regret it!!

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the brown sugar and butter on medium until light and fluffy. Add in 1/2 cup of the chopped popcorn and the egg. Beat until combined. Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon.

3. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add into the wet ingredients stir with your wooden spoon until just combined. Add in the quick oats and 1 cup of the chopped caramel popcorn and stir again until just combined.

4. Using a small cookie scoop put them on your prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet and then move to a wire rack to continue to cool.